The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in With five number-one singles, six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards , the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the s in North America and are one of the world's best-selling music artists , having sold more than million records worldwide, [ 1 ] including million sold in the US alone. The next year's follow-up album, Desperado , peaked at only number 41 in the US, although the title song became a popular track.
In , the album One of These Nights became their first number-one album in the US and a top ten album in many countries. Also in , Leadon left the band and was replaced by guitarist and vocalist Joe Walsh. Their Greatest Hits β is the best-selling album in the United States , with 38 million copies sold, and primed the public for the late release of Hotel California , which would sell more than 26 million copies in the US ranking third all-time for US sales , and more than 32 million copies worldwide.
The album yielded two number-one singles in the US and Canada, " New Kid in Town " and " Hotel California ", the latter of which became their only top hit in the United Kingdom, while also reaching the top ten in New Zealand and many European countries, including number two in France. Meisner was replaced by Timothy B. Schmit in The Eagles broke up in but reunited in for the album Hell Freezes Over , a mix of live and new studio tracks, and toured consistently.
In , they began the extended History of the Eagles Tour in conjunction with the documentary release, History of the Eagles. Meisner died in While on the tour with Ronstadt, Frey and Henley decided to form a band together and informed Ronstadt of their intention. Frey later credited Ronstadt with suggesting Leadon for the band, and arranging for Leadon to play for her so Frey and Henley could approach him about forming a band together.
They also pitched the idea to Meisner and brought him on board. The idea of naming the band "Eagles" came during a peyote and tequila -influenced group outing in the Mojave Desert. However, accounts of the origin of the name vary; Don Felder, who had yet to join the Eagles and was not at the desert, credited Leadon with originating the name when he recalled reading about the Hopis ' reverence for the eagle, [ 18 ] while Souther suggested that the idea came when Frey shouted out, "Eagles!
